BiggerPockets Money11 Touko 2020

124: Starting from $0 at Age 35 as a Teacher and Becoming "The Millionaire Educator"

Gerry Born is a teacher who is married to a teacher. He started his financial independence journey when he was 33—with a wife, $45,000 in college debt, and a job in Saudi Arabia teaching English as a second language (ESL).

He knocked out his debt in two years, then threw everything he could into savings. The ESL job provided everything but internet and phone, so he really didn’t need to spend much money if he didn’t want to.

After 9/11, they moved back to the United States and got jobs teaching—and you know what kind of salaries teachers make!

Unhappy with that particular school, they moved on to a different one and discovered the magic of the 457 plan. A 457 plan is an additional retirement savings vehicle available to teachers and some public employees. It has the same contribution limits as a 401(k) but can be immediately accessed penalty-free as soon as you separate service from your employer.

Gerry uses this to fund his life while reducing his taxable income to as close to zero as possible.

If you’re starting late—or if you’re a teacher or public employee—this episode provides tips for funding retirement that will blow your mind!

In This Episode We Cover:

How he retired early on a teacher's salary
The tax advantages he swears by
The reason why he maxed out his 457 plan first
What a 403(b) plan is
His job in Saudi Arabia
How he got into the concept of financial freedom
How he paid off his debt
How he saved his money
How he maximized his income
And SO much more!

Links from the Show

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(802)

Did Buying a House Ruin Her Path to Financial Independence?

What if you had $1 million invested for financial independence at just 36, but still worried that buying a home could derail your early retirement plans? Cheryl and her family have two young kids, a $...

9 Loka 46min

Best of BiggerPockets Money: Ben Felix on the 4% Rule

How much can you safely withdraw in early retirement, and is the 4% rule still a good guideline? Ben Felix breaks down portfolio risk, asset allocation, bonds vs. stocks, flexible spending, and the ps...

8 Loka 26min

Is House Hacking Dead in 2026? How to Find Deals That Still Work

Is house hacking still a good strategy for reaching financial independence in 2026? Scott Trench and Evan Lawler break down a real house-hacking opportunity, looking at mortgage costs, cash flow, mark...

7 Loka 31min

How Much Can You Safely Withdraw in Early Retirement? | Christine Benz

How much do you actually need to retire, and once you get there, how do you turn your portfolio into income without running out of money? In this episode, Christine Benz from Morningstar joins us to t...

6 Loka 46min

J Scott Explains Inflation, Interest Rates & the Economy

What is happening with inflation, interest rates, energy prices, and the economy, and what does it mean for investors? In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench...

2 Loka 54min

Want to Reach FI Faster? These Careers Give You the Biggest Advantage

What are the best careers for reaching financial independence? In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Evan Lawler explore careers that can accelerate your path to FI. The...

30 Syys 23min

Naseema Went Bankrupt at 25, Became a Single Mom at 30, and Built $1.3M by 45

How do you go from nearly $1 million in debt to building a $1.3 million net worth? In this BiggerPockets Money episode, hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench sit down with Naseema McElroy to hear how sh...

29 Syys 44min

How She Went From $18K in Debt to Nearly $1 Million in 6 Years

How do you go from $18,000 in debt to nearly $1 million in just six years? On the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench sit down with Kate to unpack the money decisions that compl...

25 Syys 51min